Method of and apparatus for melting glass



May 5, 1936.

P. l., vc'sp-:r-:R HETHD- or' AND APPARATUS FOR MELTING Guss -s sheets-sheet 1 Filed June 9', 1952 IN YENTR fura@ l TTORNEY -May 5, 1936. P, L, GEER 2,039,955

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MELTING GLASS Filed June 9, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 DBCIDUUDUD DDUUUDODUII unnnnnnnnn U DD DDDEIIIDU' CID DUUUDUBUUIJ CIUDUDUUU INVENTOR 4? 34214 ATTORNEY P. L. GEER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MELTING GLASS May 5, 1936.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June sa, 1952 mmvron 15 am A TTORNEY 45 melting tank and 2 Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE METHQD F AND APPARATUS FOR.

MELTING GLASS reni L. Geer, Bellevue,

Incorpora Pennsylvania Pa., assignor to linneo.4 ted, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation oi' Application June 9, 1932, Serial No. 619,178 9 Clms. (Cl. 49-54) This invention relates to glass melting tanks and recuperators therefor, and the present application is a continuation in part of my cepending application Serial #543,801 filed June 12, 1931. It is among the objects of the invention to provide apparatus -for melting glass in which a gasemelting furnace structure n the princi-X plesotthisinvention; Y" 3 FigureZisacrcss-sectionofadetailedportion oi' the roof structure ot the recuperator;

'Figure 3 a longitudinal horisontal cross-section I of the recuperator and glas melting tank shown in Figure 1;

Flgure4across-sectionaiviewofamodined form of tank; and

Figure 5 a transverse section taken along the line v-V, Figure 4.

In the drawings, I generally designates a glass the recuperator' structure. The glass melting tank is constructed with a bridge wall 3 having a Vsubmerged w e l through which the molten glass or metal passes from a melting chamber l to a working chamber l. A partition wall 1 is built on the bridge wall 3 and a second partitioned wall 8 is constructed in parallel relation with the wall l to constitute-a l passage to a waste gas outlet 9 above the crown Il oi' the glass melting tank, The crown is provided with a passage II which may be controlled by a damper l2 vto divert the gases to cause them to pass between the walls] and 8 when it is desired to obtain an increased y temkperature at the front or working end 8 of the tan v 5 'I'he horizontal passage 9 communicates with a vertical waste gas passage I 3 leading to a distrib- Figure 1. The ports I5 communicate with a common passage i1 leading from the top horizontal passages of the recuperator structure through Y which preheated air is supplied to the burners I6. 15

'I'he recuperator consists of side, top and bottom walls, i8, I9, and 2l respectively and the top wall I9 is provided with reinforcing arches 2l. A plurality of-vertical tubes or nues 22 extend from the distributing chamber I4 of the recuper- 20 ator to the exhaust chamber 23 at the bottom voi' the recuperator and the vertical tubes 22 are constructed o1 tile which form horizontal air p 24 through which air is conducted from inlets 2S at the bottom of the recuperator to the preheated 25 airpassage l1 at the top of the-recuperator. 4

The air inlets 25 are provided with adjustable dampers 28 to regulate the amount oflair passing in the ilue structure oi' the recuperator.

e common exhaust passage or chamber 2l atthebcttomoftheverticalwastegas man is similarly connected by outlet connections 21 35 to an exhaust manifold 28 which passes either toastack ortoanexhauster.

a plurality ot the recuperator.

'l'he poke holes provide access-to the vertical tubes 22 to' permit cleaning them by the injection 50 of a conduit to blow out the tubes 22 it they become deposited withslag from the waste gases passing therethrough and the portholes further permitof extending a rod into the vertical tubes 22 in the eventit ls'necessary to remove the slag 5 5 i briefly as follows:

from the inner walls thereof. The vertical tubes are constructed to provide straight uninterrupted walls on the interior thereof so as to reduce the friction of the Waste gas flow to a minimum and to prevent the accumulation or lodging of slag in the tube.

The horizontal air passages 24 of the recuperator structure are spaced relatively close to produce a maximum length of path for the travel of the air with the iinal portion of the path adjacent the wall of the waste gas distributing chamber I4.

The exhaust chamber 23 of the recuperator constitutes an ash pit having the door 32 through which the solid particles of slag are removed when the tubes are cleaned out and a sloping sump 33 is provided at the bottom of the waste gas passage I3 to permit of the removal of molten slag accumulating on the partition 3l at the entrance end of the recuperator.

The operation of the recuperator structure is The waste gases from the melting tank are drawn either through the vertical passage constituted by the walls 'l and 8 when the flue II I2 or if the damper is open the waste gas travels from the vertical ilue or slot into .the passage 9 between the roof I0 and the crown wall of the melting tank. The hot gases then pass downwardly through the passage I3 into the distributing chamber I4 of the re cuperator structure where it is more or less stabilized orbalanced and then itis drawn vertically downward through all of the tubes 22 simultaneously.

Because of the commn exhaust chamber 23 at the bottom of the jected to a uniformnegative pressure and are drawn downwardly through the exhaust manifold 28. Simultaneously, the air is drawn through the intakes into the horizontal passages 2l passing back and forth horizontally towards the Y upper region of the recuperator and gradually vertical tubes that the increasing in temperature as it absorbs the heat of the high temperature gases at the top of the recuperator. The final path of the air is adjacent the wall of the distributing chamber I4 and it passes at a uniform temperature to the passage II leading to the burner ports I5.

By regulating the dampers 26, a uniform vol'- ume of air is drawn through all parts of the recuperator structure so that all of the air is at a uniform temperature as it leaves the recuperator thereby increasing the temperature generally of the air entering the burner ports I5.

If the slag carried over in a gaseous state from the melting tank accumulates on the inner wall of the vertical tubes, the plugs 3i or the poke holes are lifted and the deposits are removed either by'an air blast or by a rod. In this manner, Ithe heat exchangeeilciency or capacity of the tubes is maintained, and clogging is prevented.

By passing all of the waste gases initially into the distributing chamber Il, the entire volume of the gas is passed through such a large number of heat of the gases is not concentrated on a small number of tubes as in the type of recuperator where the waste gases enter the recuperator structure in a vertical direction and on this account the refractory material to the destructive corrosive action of the hot gases as in the prior art devices.

It is evident from the foregoing description that a recuperator structure made in accordance therewith provides for eflicient exchange of heat tubes, the gases are subthrough the recuperator structure, the air is of a substantially higher temperature as it enters 5 the glass melting chamber.

By providing the-poke holes in the roof of the recuperator and by employing vertical tubes with uninterrupted walls, the tubes are maintained in good condition and the recuperator can be cleaned and reconditioned Without necessitating frequent renewal and without discontinuing its operation for any substantial period of time.

In the modifications shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, the furnace structure is of a double crown type as in Figure 1, differing mainly in that the top wall I of the tank is below thehtop I9 of the recuperator structure, whereas in Figure. i the roof of the tank is substantially higher than that of the recuperator.

By placing the tank -roof or crown in line .with

the recuperator, the waste gases now in a direct Y line to the upper chamber Il of the recuperator structure with the exception that-a pit 33 is provided for precipitating the solid particles entrained in the gas which areremoved from the opening 39. The inner crown wall 40 of the melting tank depends downwardly to provide a flared passage 4I which functions to slow up the gases as they are leaving the melting chamber thereby increasing the temperature ofthe hamber adjacent the bridge wall 3. s z v Y' A further deviation from the structure of Figure 1 is the supply of gaseous fuel through a producer gas main 42 that is carried by a support I3 and which has connections through a plurality of conduits M with theV preheated air passages 45 leading from vthe recuperator. The arrangement of the burner ports from the gas. main l2 is shown in Figure 5 of the drawings in which the preheated air passages are -showndivided by a wall I6 to obtain better regulation -of combustion within the melting chamber 5 of the glass" tank.

The operation of the glass tank and recuperai tor structure of Figures 4 and` 5 is the same as that explained in connection with Figures l to 3 excepting that no provision is made for drawing off the waste gases at any other portion of the melting chamber than at the end of the depending roof structure 40. Also, by virtue or' the crown 40 extending downwardly, the products of combustion from the passages-'45 are directed to the surface 'of the glass and batch material in tank 5 thus rendering the heat application more effective to the melting of the glass.

By'slowing up the gases through the use of the II and by extending the inner crown Il of the melting tank substantially the tank; the waste gases are delivered to the recuperator structure at lower temperatures lthereby increasing the life of the refractory material of which the recuperator tile is constructed. The path 'of travel of the products of combustion is suiliciently long to produce any desired firing characteristics irrpective of the velocity of the vgases entering the melting chamber, and the adjacent partition walls .separating the preheated air passages from the waste gas passages are further of such length and area as to effect amaximum exchange of heat.

1. In a glass melting furnace of the continuous recuperative type having a non-reversing 7 name the combination which comprises a melting chamber and a working chamber, heating ports for the furnace entering one Wall of the furnace, awaste gas :due over the melting fur. nace for removing the gases, a wall between the melting end and the refining end anda depending wall intermediate the extremities of the meltlng end forming the inlet to the said waste gas ilue, the said walls being offset vertically and horizontally to form a vertical ilue and a heat shield to reduce the temperature o1' the glass in the Working chamber.

2. In a glass melting furnace of the continuous recuperative type having a non-reversing llame the combination which comprises a melting chamber anda working chamber, heating ports for the furnace entering one wall of the furnace, a

waste gas ilue over the melting furnaceor re.

moving the gases, a wall between the melting end and the working end and a depending wall intermediate the extremities of the-melting end forming the inlet to the said waste gas flue the said walls being oset vertically and horizontally to form a vertical ue, an outlet to the waste gas flue intermediate the said ue and the heat ports and means regulating the quantity of gases owing in the said vertical flue to control the temperature in the working chamber.

3. A glass melting furnace having a relatively long melting chamber and a double crown, the lower crown of which is flared downwardly to conduct the gaseous flame from the burner ports forward of the tank adjacent the surface'of the glass in the tank and return the waste gases above the lower crown towards the rear of the melting chamber through a waste gas passage gradually decreasing in cross-sectional area.

4. In a continuous glass melting furnace the method which consists in subjecting the material to the action ofI a heating ame projected unidirectional with the movement of the molten glass. deflecting the products of combustion in the dlrection of the glass pool at the end of the melting chamber of the furnace, and regulating the volume of the deflected gases intermediate of the ends of thefurnace to-control the temperatur longitudinally of the furnace.

5. In a continuous' glass melting furnace the method which consists in subjecting the material to the action of a heating llame projected unidirectional with the movement of the molten glass, and delecting the products of combustion in the direction of the glass pool intermediate the ends of the melting chamber of the furnace to control the temperature longitudinally of the furnace.

6. In a continuous glassmelti'ng finnace divided by a bridge Wall into a melting and working chamber, the step in the method of heating the glass materials which consists in subjecting the material to be melted to the heat of a llame conducted through a combustion laboratory from the charging area of the furnace toward the bridge wall across the furnace, varying the quantity of heat flowing therealong and directing said heat` ilame through a varying area of the laboratory toward the bridge to control the temperature of. the material longitudinally of the tank.

7. Ina continuous glass melting furnace di. vided by a bridge wall into a melting and working chamber, the step in the method of heating the glass ymaterials which comprises subjecting the material to the heat of a llame of constant heat intensity and volume conducted from the chargf ing area of the furnace toward the bridge wall and controlling the range of said llame toward the bridge to regulate thegtemperature longitudinally of the material ,to-be melted.

8. A glass making furnace .for containing la bath of molten glass and adapted at one portion thereof to receive glass. making materials, said furnace having a bridge wall spaced from said portion and having a combustion space above the glass therein between thebridge wall and the place at whichglass making materials are received therein, said space being'of relatively restricted area intermediate the receiving end and the bridge wall, and means for projecting a com-'- 4bustible mixture into the-space adjacent the reduce the vertical cross section of the spwe adjacent the bridge wall. PAUL L. GEER. 

